A reporter for Life magazine asked Kristi, an Iowa second grader, "Who is God?" She replied, "God makes the weather . . . . He gives us gifts like trees and . . . green grass, but one gift He gave us that I don't like: that there might be a war." She continued, "But sometimes God's sort of not nice because one time He made this machine where you try to get it to grab the stuffed animal. He didn't give us luck on that, and we spent $4."

In her childish way, Kristi was trying to understand God's ways. She recognized His goodness but couldn't fit in the reality of war nor the $4 in quarters that didn't bring her "luck." She couldn't see the big picture.

We wrestle with similar issues. Yet God declares that He is like no other. He creates light and darkness, peace and calamity, and can do all things (Isa. 45:7).

How then do we gain an accurate perception of God? We start by reading the whole Bible, not just the parts that please us. Instead of blaming God for sin, we trust Him to bring good out of calamity. Most of all, we must believe in Jesus and His sacrifice for our sin on the cross. It is at Calvary that we see both God's justice and His mercy. Looking at the cross helps us to see the big picture.  — Dennis J. De Haan